Beginner Triathlete - EPIC Race Reports articles

California 1/2 Ironman: The run was my biggest fear. Prior to training, I had never run more than two miles at any given time.

When the air horn went off, I did my best to simulate laps in the pool, but that dang panic came over me again, causing me to breaststroke until I could calm my breathing.

If you are calm while everyone around you is losing it, you probably don’t know what the hell is going on.

I just had a couple of problems, I could count the number of triathlons I had contested at zero. Secondly, I could count on one hand the number of times I had been swimming in the last 17 years.

My First Half Ironman Experience-A Slow, Fat, Old Triathlete. Here is my story of my first, and probably only Half Ironman. I’m an almost 52 year old, VERY Athena triathlete.

At one of my last swim sessions the week of my first Ironman, one of my training partners told me how she was envious..."your first Ironman is fun, you have no pressure and no expectations!"

I can't say it enough, the feeling of treading water for that final minute, helicopters over head, Mike Riley's Iron-voice over the P.A. - just awesome. I cannot believe I'm here!

Pain shows us how strong we are. After last weekend I am convinced of this. After 151 training hours of swimming, biking, and running, I flew to Sonoma County, California for the race.

I am not tough. I cried during the Lion King stampede, during Armageddon when Liv Tyler collapsed on the TV as her dad wished her farewell and, most embarrassingly, E.T.

I cried the morning of the race when the "Star Spangled Banner" played, but I wasn't alone. IRONMAN is electric!!

Here's my race report: I started swimming in the first wave. End of race report. Now for the gory details.

Ironman Couer d'Alene 2003 - Inspirational first ironman triathlon devoted to his wife battling cancer.

To help you extract the most from my account, I will highlight the specific take-aways that will not only improve your race time, but reduce unecessary bloodshed.